lielpful. " Criddle mixture " and other baits of which particulars 

 have already been given [see this Revieiv, Ser. A, iii, p. 298] are recom- 

 mended. When practicable, the hopper-dozer may be used, as well as 

 sprays containing arsenate of lead, Paris green, or sodium arsenite. 

 A bibliography of 34 works is given. 



Hatano (T.). On the Value of Lime in Relation to Silkworm Nutri- 

 tion. — Internal. Rev. Science and Practice Agric, Mthly. Bull. 

 Agric. Intell. and PI. Dis., Rome, vii, no. 8, August 1916, 

 pp. 1147-1148. [Abstract from Bull, de V Assoc. Sericole du Japon, 

 ii, no. 4, 1st March 1916, pp. 1-4.] [Received 13th December 

 1916.] 



Experiments were made with 500 worms having but one generation 

 a year, at the time of the fifth moult, to test the nutritive effect of 

 various calcium salts. They were divided into four groups, and were 

 fed on leaves treated with 5 per cent, solutions of calcium bicarbonate, 

 calcium chloride, calcium acetate, and untreated leaves respectively. 



The weights are given of 100 examples of each stage from each 

 group, and it was found that the figures are higher in every case in the 

 first three groups than in the control, an increase in the weight of the 

 yield of silk being obtained as well as increase in size of the worms. 



Further experiments will be undertaken to ascertain which calcium 

 salt yields the best result and what degree of concentration is 

 -advisable. 



Study of Sericulture in Madagascar. — Internal. Rev. Science and Practice 

 Agric, Mthly. Bull. Agric. Intell. and PI. Dis., Rome, vii, no. 8, 

 August 1916, pp. 1148-1149. [Abstract from Bull. Economique 

 de la Colonic de Madagascar el Dependances, Antananarivo, xv, 

 no. 1, 1915, pp. 1-17.] [Received 13th December 1916.] 



Before the French occupation of Madagascar, the silk used by the 

 natives was obtained exclusively from the Lasiocampid, Borocera 

 madagasairiensis, which occurs very widely in the central and western 

 parts of the island and feeds on a considerable number of plants. 

 It sometimes becomes a positive pest in the mimosa plantations and 

 is still regularly reared on Upaca clusiacea, which occurs in more or less 

 •dense forests on the lateritic hills. In the regions of Majunga and 

 Maintirano, B. madagascariensis lives wild in the Rhizophora forests 

 of the coast, and the natives gather the cocoons at certain periods of 

 the year. There are other native silk-bearing species, such as the 

 Notodontids, Hypsoides {Bomhyx) radama and H. {B.) diego. They are 

 found in almost all the forests of the eastern slope and the north. 

 These caterpillars enclose their cocoon in a large envelope which they 

 weave in common, and which is sometimes 1 metre in length. 



Since the French occupation, especially since 1900, the silk industry 

 in the island has been based on the rearing of Bomhyx mori. After 

 dealing with the cultivation of the mulberry tree and the technical 

 conditions of silkworm breeding, some information is given on the 

 production of silkworm eggs, cocoons and silk, with some account of 

 the encouragement afforded by the Government to sericulture and 

 of the future prospects for this industry in the island. 



